1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to medical imaging systems. More specifically, this invention relates to methods and systems in medical imaging systems that provide a user interface to help define and quantify physiological features.
2. Related Art
Doctors and technicians commonly use medical imaging systems to obtain, display, and study images for diagnostic purposes. In ultrasound imaging systems, for example, a doctor may obtain heart images in an attempt to learn whether the heart functions properly. In recent years, these imaging systems have become very powerful, and often include sophisticated measurement and analysis (M&A) subsystems. The M&A subsystems provide assistance in obtaining and determining diagnostic data from the images, such as heart rate, blood velocity, and physiological structure depth.
For certain examinations the M&A subsystem took initial steps to analyze and obtain diagnostic data from the images. However, the M&A subsystem typically lacked the doctor's expertise in identifying physiological structures (e.g., a heart valve) and events (e.g., ventricle diastole). Thus, the M&A subsystem typically could not be relied upon to find or identify many different physiological structures. As a result, manual input, without any initial guidance, was often required to define those structures.
In that regard, however, the sophistication of the M&A subsystems has sometimes rendered them difficult and complex to use and understand. Thus, interaction with the M&A subsystems has not always been as simple, fast, and easy as desired. As a result, it has been more cumbersome than necessary to analyze and obtain diagnostic data from the images.
Therefore, there is a need for overcoming the difficulties set forth above and others previously experienced.